Senate Bills to Enhance Effective Policing, Crime Control

Says 12m motorists in Nigeria use fake insurance certificates
Police oppose exit of traffic wardens
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The Senate yesterday expressed its commitment to improve effective policing through its decision to pass bills seeking to control crime level and societal ills in the country.
This came as the Nigeria Police yesterday opposed moves by the traffic wardens to be separated from the police and stand as a sole entity, controlling their affairs.

A private member bill had lamented the poor welfare of traffic wardens under the Nigeria Police and sought their separation from it. But the move is not satisfactory to the police.
At one-day public hearing on Traffic Warden Bill and Crime and Criminal Tracking System Bill, Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abu Ibrahim, said the Senate was committed to providing adequate legal framework for effective policing and crime control in our society.

He said: “The bills for discussion today are two. First is the Traffic Warden Bill which seeks  to repeal section 59-69 of the Police Act Cap 359 Laws of the federation of Nigeria 1990 and to re-enact the Traffic Warden Service which shall be responsible for the appointment, promotion and discipline of traffic wardens, issuance of certificate of appointment and discharge and for other related matters.

“While the second is, Crime and Criminal Tracking System Bill, which seeks to provide for the design, development, installation and management of a Robust Crime and Criminal Tracking System for the Nigeria Police to enhance national security through automation of criminal records with Biometric identification information for background security checks, crime investigation and prosecution and counter-terrorism and for related matters.

“These bills couldn’t have come at any other better time other than now considering the increasing threats to security in the country. The Senate especially this committee is committed toward the provision of adequate legal framework for effective policing and crime control in our society.

“The bills when passed will certainly help in enhancing in-depth investigation of crime and control in the country. The public hearing will afford all the invited stakeholders and members of the public a very good opportunity to make your contributions on these subjects to enable the Senate pass the bills into law,” he said.

The  Senate also yesterday raised an alarm that 12 of the 16 million registered motorists in Nigeria are carrying fake insurance certificates.
Moving a motion, Senator Ahmed Salau Ogembe (Kogi Central) called for the implementation of compulsory insurance in Nigeria as provided in the Insurance Act and Regulation 2003.

Ogembe had in the motion, submitted that out of the 16 million registered vehicles in Nigeria, only four million are properly insured as he decried the lapses in insurance policy.
“The country is grossly under-insured and  basically, her citizens do not take advantage of services rendered by this very important sector of the economy.

“Presently 58 insurance companies are registered with the National Insurance Commission, yet there are uncountable number of unregistered insurance institutions selling worthless insurance certificates to unsuspecting members of the public.

“This reprehensible act is mostly manifest in the third party motor/vehicle insurance scheme where such unregistered institutions connive with relevant law enforcement agencies to perpetrate their act. Out of the sixteen million vehicles in Nigeria, only four million are properly insured,” he said.

The Senate therefore mandated its Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions to invite all stakeholders in the insurance sector, such as the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Registered Insurance Companies in Nigeria and relevant law enforcement agencies to deliberate on ways and means of ensuring strict implementation and compliance with the six compulsory insurance schemes as provided in the Act and invoke sanctions where necessary.

It also urged NAICOM to properly orientate the public on the insurance policies as stipulated in the Act and publish the 58 registered insurance companies for public patronage and adherence to insurance policies.